USA > Kansas > Fifty years in the Kansas Conference, 1864-1914 : a record of the origin and development of the work of the Evangelical Association in the territory covered by the Kansas Conference > Part 15
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G. Sorg was received from the Germany Conference with the understanding that he present his credentials.
G. E. Dienst received deacon's orders and the brethren G. E. Dienst, C. Emmel, A. Mattill and G. Sorg were received into the itinerancy.
DISTRICTS DIVIDED
Southwest District was divided as follows: Emporia, Osage, Humboldt, Yates Center, Parsons, Dickinson and Americus shall be taken from Southwest District, and with Carthage and Virgil from Missouri District, shall form a new district, to be called Emporia District. The remaining portion of Southwest District shall be called Newton District. Missouri District was changed to Kansas City District.
J. H. Tobias was chosen presiding elder and the presiding elders were stationed as follows: Holton District, J. Wuerth; Kan- sas District, H. Mattill; Emporia District, P. Fricker; and New- ton District, J. H. Tobias.
Jewell City requested to be changed into a station, which was done. Jewell thus stands recorded as the first station in the Kansas Conference, followed immediately by Canada, which was formed into a station at this same session.
A new feature was introduced at this time, which necessarily was short lived. The fact that Conference was spared so many years from claimants, the funds in that treasury had accrued to quite an amount when the following action was taken: "Resolved, that one-half of the preacher's traveling expenses this year to and from Conference shall be paid out of the treasury. It is needless to say that in a few years the surplus was consumed, and the treasury drained sufficiently to swing back into the former cus- tom. The experiment has not been tried since as in course of time the Conference claimants required all the available funds from this source.
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The matter of dividing the Conference had been agitated from certain sources for some time past and at this session the subject received proper attention, however without success on the part of those who favored the scheme.
The church building project at Emporia which was authorized a year ago was reported as progressing. About $900.00 had been secured in cash and subscriptions. The pastor of Emporia was instructed to canvass those fields on Holton and Southwest Dis- tricts which had not yet been canvassed.
The pastor of Rice Mission was authorized to collect on New- ton District to the extent of $200.00 or $300.00 for the erection of a church at the Zion appointment.
C. Berner was elected Conference treasurer, and E. J. Troyer trustee for five years.
A committee was appointed to purchase a lot and build a new church in the City of Atchison, where there seemed to be a prom- ising opening.
The trustees of the Kansas City, 18th Street congregation, were authorized to sell their church and build a new one.
BOUNDARIES
Holton District
a. Spring Creek, Lone Star and Four Mile shall be taken from Hiawatha and with the surrounding country form a new circuit to be called Spring Creek Circuit.
b. Nemaha Circuit shall be called Preston Circuit.
c. Coal Creek shall be taken from Holton Circuit and added to Wolf River Circuit.
Kansas City District
a. A new mission shall be located in the north-eastern part of Kansas City, Mo., which shall be known as Forest Avenue Mission.
b. Denver shall be served with Platte River.
c. The appointments Americus, Peterson, and the new ap- pointments north of Americus shall be taken from Emporia Mis- sion and form Americus Mission.
Newton District
a. Canada shall be taken from Marion Mission and formed into Canada Station.
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b. Wichita Mission shall be divided. The eastern part of the work shall be taken off and formed into Eldorado Mission.
c. Wichita Mission shall be called Derby Mission.
MISSIONS
The amount of $3,494.67 was raised for missions the past year, and $4,400.00 was appropriated for the ensuing year. The amount of $1,144.00 was appropriated out of the Conference treas- ury for district and circuit work.
Bishop R. Dubs was elected delegate to the Board of Mis- sions, and J. Schmidli treasurer of the Missionary Society.
STATISTICS
Conversions, 370; accessions, 704; membership, 3,755; itine- rant preachers, 38; local preachers, 31; churches, 41; parsonages, 23; Sunday-schools, 65; officers and teachers, 649; scholars, 2,878; catechetical classes, 23; catechumens, 357; Botschafters, 726; Messengers, 417; Epistles, 41; total for missions, $3,812.17.
APPOINTMENTS
Holton District-J. Wuerth, P. E.
Warrensburg, C. Brandt. Clinton, T. R. Nanninga.
Preston, A. Yockel.
Holton, G. Sorg.
Lawrence, F. Harder.
Wolf River, C. Emmel.
Emporia District-P. Fricker, P. E. Alida, J. F. Schreiber.
Yates Center, H. Koepsel.
Humboldt, C. H. Lindner.
Hiawatha, L. C. Schnacke.
Carthage, S. H. Dunkelberger.
Spring Creek, W. Daeschner.
Virgil, S. H. Dunkelberger.
Osage, M. Walter.
Burlington, W. Elmer.
Parsons, J. W. Keiser.
Emporia, E. J. Troyer.
Americus, supplied by E. J. Troyer.
Kansas City District-H. Mattill, P. E.
Kansas City, Oak St., J. Schmidli.
Kansas City, Brooklyn Ave., A. J. Voegelein.
Kansas City, Forest Ave., to be sup- plied.
St. Joseph, L. Wenger.
Oregon, C. W. Snyder.
Platte River and Denver, J. G. Pfei- fer and D. Swart.
Bloomington, to be supplied.
Wilson, A. Ernst.
Winston, to be supplied.
Sheridan and Glasgow, P. Schumann.
Newton District-J. H. Tobias, P. E.
Canada, J. Kramer.
Jewell, J. H. Kiplinger.
Osborne and Stockton, H. S. Bower.
Rice, D. F. Honstedt.
Newton, C. F. Erffmeyer.
Derby, A. Brunner.
Eldorado, to be supplied.
Marion, G. E. Dienst.
Salina, to be supplied.
Offerle, C. Geiser.
Wm. Meier and A. Mattill were under appointment in Texas.
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Atchison, D. R. Zellner.
Big Blue, W. Heiser.
Leavenworth, C. Berner.
Red Vermillion, Fr. Shafer.
Washington, H. Toedman.
1884 FIFTY YEARS IN THE KANSAS CONFERENCE
LOST SPRINGS
During the past year Rev. J. H. Kiplinger, serving Marion Mission, held a protracted meeting at Lost Springs, which re- sulted in the conversion of a number of souls and the organiza- tion of a class with the following members: M. F. Shupe and wife, B. F. Shupe and wife, I. F. Shupe and wife, and Mrs. Lou- raine Mastin. M. F. Shupe was elected class-leader and I. F. Shupe exhorter. M. F. Shupe continued in the office of class- leader until 1912, a period of 29 years.
The Shupe brothers moved from Ontario, Canada, to Lost Springs, in 1879, only M. F. being a member of the Evangelical Association at the time. Not long after locating at Lost Springs Brother Shupe learned that Brother L. Wenger preached to a small class at Lincolnville, five miles south of Lost Springs. Here Brother Shupe attended services, often walking the distance to worship with the brethren. During the meeting alluded to, Bro. Shupe's brothers were converted and united with the church, form- ing the nucleus of the new class at Lost Springs.
In 1881 a union Sunday-school was organized in the home of B. F. Shupe, which was later held in the barn of his brother Isaac, with M. F. Shupe as superintendent. This was continued a union Sunday-school until the church was built in 1887, when it was changed to a denominational school, and M. F. Shupe has continued as superintendent to the present time (1914), a period of 33 years. A church was built in 1887 at a cost of $1,300.00, which was dedicated by J. H. Tobias, presiding elder, in the spring of 1888. The following brethren composed the trustee board : J. D. Weston, E. M. Nettrouer, B. F. Shupe, I. F. Shupe and A. M. Nettrouer.
Originally Lost Springs belonged to Marion Mission, which embraced the appointments: Marion, Youngstown, Lincolnville, Tampa and Lost Springs. In the spring of 1899 Marion and Youngstown were taken from Marion Mission, and with the ap- pointments Maple Grove and Banner City from Dickinson Mis- sion, formed into Lost Springs Mission, which in 1904 was changed to a circuit. In the month of August, 1902, the church was de- stroyed by a cyclone, but was immediately rebuilt through the energetic labors of the pastor, S. A. Burgert.
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ABILENE
During the years 1883 and 1884 the families Christian Schaal, Isaac Lantz, and Israel Stark moved from the State of Illinois to the vicinity of Abilene. The families C. Spahr, Jonathan Rom- berger and Wm. Picking from Pennsylvania settled in the same community at about the same time. In 1884 the families John Landis, Sr., Cyrus Feigley and H. A. Snider came from Stark County, Ohio, also settling at Abilene. J. F. Schreiber, serving Alida Mission in 1884, learning about some members living near Abilene, visited the place, got in touch with them, and preached for them in a school house known as the Pike's school house, three miles northeast of town. Later when the Ohio families had moved into the community the services were held in a hall rented for that purpose in Abilene, where also a Sunday-school was promptly organized with C. Feigley as superintendent.
In 1886 the appointment was taken from Alida, added to Salina Mission, and assigned to M. Manshardt, who served one year. During this time the work was organized and a small chapel purchased on Spruce St., between 4th and 5th, at a cost of $1,300.00. This was all subscribed and paid by the charter members except about $200 contributed by the business men of town.
Brother Manshardt's activity was somewhat handicapped by the language condition. Most of the people preferred the English, and some could not understand and exercise in German, while Brother Manshardt was not able to exercise in the English lan- guage, but he was undaunted in his efforts to succeed in building up the work. He secured the service of Rev. D. F. Honstedt in a meeting during the winter, which resulted in the conversion of quite a few young people who became active workers in the church.
In the spring of 1887 Abilene was taken from Salina Mission, formed into a separate mission and was supplied with M. C. Platz, who served the work three years. During his first year an extensive awakening took place in which some thirty souls were converted and many united with the church. The chapel being too small for the proper development of the society, steps were taken toward building a new church. The hot winds, however, destroyed the corn and all late crops, so the project had to be postponed two years. In 1889 a church was built on the corner of
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5th and Kuney Ave. at a cost of $4,041.00 and dedicated Sept. 29, 1889, by Bishop Thomas Bowman. Several years later the old church building was moved on the church lot and arranged for a parsonage.
In the winter of 1888 an awakening occurred at the North Buckeye school house, five miles north of Abilene, by which the whole community was stirred and 65 souls were converted. About one-half of the converts united with the church in town and at Buckeye. Others identified themselves with other churches. The Buckeye appointment was kept up for some years, but was later abandoned. From Abilene several young men entered the minis- try who are laboring successfully in winning souls to Christ.
Most of the charter members have laid down the armor and have entered into the rest of their heavenly Father while the bur- den has fallen upon younger shoulders to carry on the work so faithfully begun by their fathers. Abilene was for many years the center for conventions upon the district, and many inspiring con- vocations have been held there which radiated their influence for good over the entire district.
J. H. TOBIAS
The following thrilling experience is related by J. H. Tobias, who served the Oregon work the past year : "On Sunday afternoon, June 18th, as I was on my way to the Ross Grove appointment, Oregon Circuit, I had to cross Squaw Creek, which was swollen, the water having been out of its banks the day before. I was directed to this crossing, but did not know that there was a low bridge across the channel, and even this washed out and tangled timber washed in where the bridge had been. I drove into the water when the ponies suddenly went under and could not rise because of the timber in which they became entangled. I still held the lines, hoping the ponies would get free and rise, but instead of that I was drawn into the wheels of the buggy by the current. I tried to loose myself, but the current was too swift and strong for me. I felt that my end was at hand, my work finished, and my last sermon preached, when suddenly the buggy turned over and I was released. I struggled to the shore almost exhausted, hardly realizing what had happened to me. I saw my satchel, Bible, and hat, floating down stream, but felt grateful to my heavenly Father that he spared my life for my family, and that I might preach the Gospel a while longer. After recovering suffi-
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cient strength I walked one and a half miles to Brother Smith's home where I found sympathy and aid. I was drenched and cov- ered with mud, with nothing saved but my life and the clothing I wore. The kind people replaced my team in a short time, and I was again fitted out to continue my labors among them, never to forget God's mercy and the kindness of the dear friends."
Brother Tobias describes a revival meeting which he held at the Benton appointment on Oregon Circuit while serving that work, in the following words:
"In February, 1884, I held a revival meeting in the Benton Church, which was accompanied with unusual conviction and power, the altar being filled with seekers every night. One night, after the services were closed, a large, portly woman shook her fist before my face, exclaiming: 'You have preached my funeral ser- mon for three nights, and I will not stand it any longer.' I saw that she was angry and said nothing. I expected her to strike me, however, she refrained. I saw the hand of God in it all. This poor woman belonged to a church which did not believe in conver- sion. Some of the leading members of her church were at the altar, while others had been converted.
"Arrangements had been made before the meeting began for a dance in the neighborhood, the wife of a brother-in-law of the family where the dance was to be held came five miles to attend the same, and when she drove into the yard the family were just starting to the meeting. The visitor remarked: 'Is there not a dance on the program at this place tonight?' 'Yes,' his friend remarked, 'but no one will come. Everybody is going to the Evan- gelical church to attend the meeting. We are going there our- selves.' 'Well,' the visitor remarked, 'I came five miles through the mud to attend the dance, and we expected to remain all night.' 'Very well,' his friend remarked, 'you can put your team into the barn, and you can stay in the house, or you can get into the wagon and go with us to church just as you like.' The visitors decided to go along to church. That night both parties came to the altar for prayer, the one having started for a dance and ending at the mourners' bench, praying themselves into the Kingdom of God.
"Twenty-eight souls were converted during this meeting, after which I preached three sermons on baptism, when all the converts but one were baptized by sprinkling in a neighborhood where most all had been believers in immersion. When the people asked me at the beginning of the meeting to preach on the subject of water
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baptism I told them when they were once converted then I would, but prior to that would be too soon. I held four revival meetings this year on my field of labor and nearly one hundred souls were converted."
C. F. ERFFMEYER
Rev. C. F. Erffmeyer gives the following account of his early ministry in the Kansas Conference :
"The first session of the Kansas Conference I attended was held in our church at Willow Springs (now Worden), Douglas County, Kansas, in the spring of 1878, with Bishop T. Bowman as chairman. At that session I was licensed to preach, received into the itinerancy and given my first charge. At that session thirty-two ministers received appointments. According to the statistics the membership of the Conference numbered less than three thousand. My first appointment was Junction City Mission, with L. Wenger for my senior colleague.
"This mission had eight preaching places, equally divided as to English and German, two of them were in Riley County, three in Dickinson, and three in Marion County. At first I trav- eled the 'circuit' on horseback and later in the year in an open buggy. To procure this outfit I was obliged to go considerably into debt. My salary the first year was $125.00. In addition to this I received cash presents from friends to the amount of $25.00. I made my home with Brother Wenger at Junction City, but was out among the people on the work more than two-thirds of the time. The people always gave me a hearty welcome to their homes and would never accept any pay. So with a small salary I fared reasonably well.
"Sometimes, however, during my early ministry, I found my- self without money. On a certain Saturday I wanted to cross the Republican River at Wakefield by ferry to reach my Sunday appointment in Riley County. The round trip fare over the river was 35 cents. I had no money with which to pay the fare, so I told the ferryman I had no money, but would pay on my return trip if he would carry me across. He agreed to this and took both me and my pony across the river. The next morning we had a gracious service in the little school house, after which a stranger from 'the East,' who was present, and took an active part in the service, pressed a silver dollar into my hand, saying, 'God bless you, my brother.' The next day, on my return trip, I paid the ferryman.
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"While serving the first year in the ministry, with Brother Wenger, I was sent to Canada, in Marion County, to hold a watchnight service, and with this service begin a protracted meet- ing. The watchnight service began at eight o'clock, with the old school house filled to its utmost capacity. I preached from the text Ps. 90: 10. After the sermon the ten converted people pre- sent all took part in prayer and testimony, and still it was two hours until midnight. I soon saw that in order to hold the people until the New Year was ushered in I must preach again. I took for my second text Gen. 3: 9, 'Where art thou?' and had unusual liberty in preaching. Several brethren then spoke on the subject of salvation, and all joined heartily in the singing. The Holy Spirit was present, and wrought deep conviction upon the uncon- verted, and this watchnight service was the beginning of a gra- cious revival.
"On Friday of the following week Brother Wenger arrived with H. Mattill, the presiding elder, to hold the quarterly meeting. During his stay over Sunday Brother Mattill preached the Word with great power. After Brother Mattill left, Brother Wenger remained for the most of the week and preached the Word with telling effect. The meeting continued until Jan. 28, and resulted in seventeen conversions. Eighteen persons united with the church at the closing service. The Christians rejoiced, the church was strengthened, and the community blessed.
"At the Conferenec session in 1879, the appointments in Mar- ion County were taken from Junction Mission and formed into Marion Mission. I was assigned to this new mission, and in April of this year, with Brother Wenger, the presiding elder, I visited Newton in the interests of our church. We found five families who were members of the Evangelical Association, for whom we preached regularly and organized a class in the month of June. Soon thereafter we decided to build a church. A trustee board was chosen, and a building committee appointed. A subscription was started, and in a few days about $1,000.00 was raised for the project. The building was finished in five months, so that on September 21, Bishop J. J. Esher dedicated the new edifice. The following spring Newton Mission was founded and I was assigned to the same as pastor. At the beginning of the year we had ten members, and at the end of a two years' pastorate we had 41 mem- bers, and a Sunday-school numbering more than a hundred.
"Early in the fall of 1882 there was a ministerial and Sun-
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day-school convention held at Newton. Many were gathered there from various points on the district, who, with the people of New- ton, were assembled for the opening services on the evening of Sept. 27, on which occasion Rev. E. J. Troyer was to preach. In the midst of the sermon a tornado struck the building, demolishing it, but fortunately killing no one, though several were slightly in- jured, and many severely frightened. The preservation of the lives of all present in the midst of such destruction seemed noth- ing less than a miracle. An Episcopal church, a stone building, standing about half a block from our church, was so badly injured that it had to be torn down. The next morning a citizen of New- ton, viewing the ruins, remarked : 'They were God's churches, now, if God is almighty, why did he not protect his property?' An- other bystander answered: 'God showed his power and love in pro- tecting the people within the building, so that no one was seriously hurt. This is indeed a mircale.' The first speaker made no fur- ther reply.
"When I went to the ministerial and Sunday-school convention at Newton I was just recovering from an attack of typhoid- malaria. The drenching I received in connection with the storm brought on a severe attack of lung fever. The fever brought me so low that my good wife and friends despaired of my recovery. A good brother minister, visiting me just at the time of the crisis, of my sickness, felt so certain that I could not recover, that he called on the undertaker in Emporia on his way home and made arrangements for my burial, requesting him to keep himself in readiness for a telegraphic summons from Americus, where I lived. A little after midnight that date the fever passed the crisis and the doctor declared the danger over. Shortly after this time this physician was happily converted. At this writing God has added thirty-two years to my life, for which I am moved to pro- found gratitude to him for his mercy."
1885
TWENTY-FIRST SESSION
The twenty-first session of Conference was held at the Camp Creek Church, on Atchison Circuit, Atchison County, Kansas, be- ginning March 19, 1885, with Bishop Thomas Bowman as chair- man, and C. Berner secretary.
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Wm. Heiser died during the year, and L. C. Schnacke was reported as having withdrawn from the church, however, later, at his request, credentials were voted him with the understanding that the same shall remain in the hands of the secretary until it is ascertained whether his accounts with the Publishing House and Missionary Society had been satisfactorily settled.
The following brethren received license to preach: Edwin Brown, George Wilson, M. C. Platz, C. W. Stauffer and J. K. Young.
T. R. Nanninga, L. E. Becher, and J. W. Keiser received dea- cons' orders, and A. Brunner and W. Elmer elders' orders.
W. F. Wolthausen and H. Rosenberger, local preachers, moved within the bounds of Conference and were properly enrolled.
The brethren P. Fricker, C. Emmel, J. Kurtz and C. Linge were retained in the itinerancy without appointment.
DISTRICT CHANGES
The Conference was changed from four to three districts as follows :
a. Jewell, Downs, Osborne and Stockton shall be added to Holton District.
b. Eudora, Deer Creek and Osage shall be added to Kansas City District.
The remaining appointments on Newton and Emporia c. Districts shall be called Newton District.
H. Mattill was elected presiding elder. The districts were supplied as follows :
Holton District, H. Mattill; Kansas City District, J. Wuerth; Newton District, J. H. Tobias.
H. Mattill was elected trustee of Northwestern College as suc- cessor of L. C. Schnacke.
J. G. Pfeifer was elected Conference trustee for five years, and C. Berner Conference treasurer.
The Conference trustees were requested to devise a plan by which a fire insurance company might be organized in the Confer- ence for insuring church property, and to submit the same to the next session.
The Conference Secretary was instructed to procure a Con- ference seal for future use.
The resolution of a year ago, pertaining to the payment of one-half of the preacher's traveling expenses to and from Confer-
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ence was complied with, but the plan changed for the future so that only the expenses of a brother exceeding the amount of $5.00 should be paid out of the conference treasury.
D. R. Zellner reported that a new church had been built, and a parsonage purchased, in Atchison during the past year in ac- cordance with the resolution of a year ago, at a cost of $5,737.40. The amount of $2,851.00 having been secured, left an indebtedness of $2,886.63. It was ordered that the entire Conference district should be open to a collector for the church and parsonage at Atchison.
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